News

After the tsunami: Catching fish by the bucket

This is just a fascinating report all around: Following last week’s tsunami off the coast of Japan, the fish were so thick off Mexico’s Pacific coast you could scoop them up in a bucket. On the flip side, many fishing ports were seriously damaged and several countries are now requiring radiation testing of all fish coming from Japanese markets to be sure they haven’t been contaminated by releases from failing nuclear power plants.

U.S. Geological Survey doesn’t confirm the theory that the tsunami and related currents made for a gangbuster day of fishing in Mexico, but I love this description from World Fishing & Aquaculture (hat tip to Pacific Fishing Magazine’s Fish Wrap for finding this gem):

On the day of the tsunami, Mexican fishermen reported a stellar fishing day and it is being reported that the tsunami drove fish in their direction. Thousands of sardines, anchovies, stripped bass and mackerel surged along the coast of Acapulco, packed so tightly that they looked like an oil slick from above.

Delighted fishermen rushed out in wooden motor boats to scoop the fish up in buckets.

The fishermen attributed the strange phenomenon to the unusual currents unleashed by the tsunami, but experts couldn’t be sure.

“It would fall into that category where you would love to make the connection, but who knows?’ Rich Briggs, a geologist with the US Geological Survey.